


Theon's Epitaph

by nanjcsy



Series: The Unforgiven [17]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Buried Alive, Imprisonment, Insanity, Lost Identity, M/M, Revenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-17
Updated: 2014-06-17
Packaged: 2018-02-04 23:44:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1797721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanjcsy/pseuds/nanjcsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Theon carved into the stones of his cell, his last words, his epitaph.  However, he was not the last person to ever see that cell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Theon's Epitaph

Theon ignored the sweat and blood that kept dripping into his eyes, blurring, stinging.  It did not matter, that was not real pain. Theon was learning real pain whenever Ramsay felt like it.  He had stolen a sharp rock the last time he was outside of this hellish hole.  When Ramsay let his Boys drag the raging man outdoors, kick him, whip him, force him to choke and writhe in mud.  Having a small rock is no defense against anyone at Dreadfort, but it is useful in this cell.  During the long dark hours, waiting for food, water or pain, until Theon felt he would go insane.  Now he had something to do while he waited, Theon used his little rock to carve words into the stones.  Words that he needed to remember, because here seemed to be nowhere, therefore he must be no one and he felt like Theon was slipping away.

Sobbing, trying so hard to get his trembling hands steady, Theon carved his words.  His joints ached from the damned cross, and he refused to even look at the missing digits.  Missing, pieces of him just falling away, so write, write, name them all before he is a ghost too. 

Carving is slower work now, but Theon tries to concentrate and grinds stone into stone, to create letters.  Theon can feel the blood dripping down his legs, onto the floor, actually it is more of a stream.  Good.  Good, maybe he can die of blood loss.  This makes him smile, even though his jaw hurts, forgetting for a moment that most of his teeth are shattered.  Theon refuses to think about why he is bleeding so much, he is not ready to deal with that yet.  Instead, he writes, the walls are his confessional, his reminders, Theon's memory in icy cold stone. 

Theon was given a new name by Ramsay.  A hateful name, a terrible name because it feels more real and truthful than Theon does. He finds himself adding this name to the stones and it infuriates him.  The more Theon writes, the more this name seems to sneak its way onto his walls.  Ramsay makes Theon say the bad name all the time, he comes out of nowhere to ask.  The bastard will wake Theon out of a slumber to ask and if the answer is not right...Theon discovered the hateful name rhymes with other words. As a reminder only, he writes the rhymes on the walls.  This helps Theon remember.  Some of the other words he cannot place anymore, he sees the words but those are ghosts now.  Why remember ghosts, anyway?

Oh, what a wonderful day!  Ramsay, Master, must remember that, never forget his Lordship's rules.  Master is allowing him to live in the kennels now!  Without a glance at the stones, the prisoner turned slave, limps out of the cell.  For such a very long time, the cell stayed empty.  Blood and filth dried, turning to sludge or dust.  The words remained, silent and still, a testimonial to a madman turned to no one at all.  Winter came and changes made.

One day the cell door opened again.  The prisoner thrust in was given a torch, a kindness unknown here at Dreadfort.  In the doorway stood a strong looking woman and what might have been termed a man.  More of a creature, bony and frail.  Hunched over, head nodding at odd moments, missing fingers on trembling hands, it was freakish.  The face was gaunt with bulging eyes, but oh, the hatred, it froze the face.  Any child would have screamed _"Monster"_ and run to have nightmares for weeks!  The skeleton was drooling in rage, the voice that came from him was weak, high pitched.  It should have sounded pitiful but the fury, the unreasoning hatred made the voice terrifying.  The goblin faced, troll hunched, mockery of a man spoke to the prisoner.  The poor handsome man, stunned that some little monster has imprisoned him!  The monster spoke, _"I asked to let you live, I begged them to bring you here, to this hell, to this very special cell.  It is a grave, it is haunted.  Live here, stay with the ghost, live in a grave."_ The prisoner swallowed nervously, but glared at the little creature.

 _"What do you mean a grave?  Who died here?"_ Staring quizzically at the freak, challenging, not giving an inch.  The broken man tried to stand tall, but even with the woman's help, he could never again stand straight.  So instead he raised his chin and spoke with as much dignity as a freak could.  "This is most certainly a grave. Theon Greyjoy died here.  You killed him and you will pay for his death, murderer.  Do not worry, My Lord, I am Reek and I always see to your needs.  After all, you have made me Reek forever, always.  So you will always have food, water and torches.  Oh, and I have left you something to read as well."

Finally, the prisoner seemed nervous, he turned slowly around.  His eyes were cruel and lovely, but now they were filling with horror.  The door slammed shut and the words carved into stone, seemed to glow in the torchlight.  Surrounding him, engulfing him, all four walls pressing down.  The sentences, the words, etched in desperation, and where it ends is indeed like death.  Unable to breathe, the large man could not stop reading and reading...

**MY NAME IS THEON GREYJOY, PRINCE THEON GREYJOY, IRONBORN, SON OF BALON GREYJOY  THEON GREYJOY SON OF BALON SISTER OF ASHA  THEON GREYJOY HOSTAGE OF STARKS TRAITOR TO KING ROBB FRIEND TO ROBB ROBB IS MY KING  TRAITOR LET ME DIE ROBB KILL ME  THEON GREYJOY THEON THEON GREYJOY HOSTAGE TRAITOR SON OF NO ONE ROBB PLEASE I AM SORRY SORRY PLEASE ROBB  I AM THEON I AM A SON A PRINCE THEON ASHA FIND ME ASHA WHY PLEASE SISTER SISTER I WAS THEON  THEON THEON THEON THEON REEK REEK REEK MY NAME IS REEK REMEMBER REEK RHYMES WITH MEEK WEAK CHEEK LEAK FREAK THEON THEON THE REEK IT RHYMES SNEAK SEEK PLEASE LET ME DIE AS THEON  REEK SNEAK WEAK LEAK SEEK FREAK MEEK...**

Every wall, over and over, circling around again.  Ramsay screamed.


End file.
